Cambridge

Cambridge is the county town of Cambridgeshire, England. In 70 AD, the Romans built the fort of Duroliponte near a Briton village, and Duroliponte became a civilian town in 130 AD; it experienced extensive settlement by the Romans until their abandonment of Britannia in 410 AD. In the late 4th century, the Anglo-Saxons settled in the area, calling it "Grantebrycge", meaning a bridge over the Granta River (which was later renamed the "River Cam", hence "Cambridge"). The Vikings arrived in Grantebrycge in 875 AD and turned it into a vibrant trading town. During the 1120s, King Henry I of England granted Cambridge a town charter, and it was given control over local tolls. In 1209, Cambridge University was established, turning Cambridge into a university city. During the English Civil War, it served as the headquarters for the "Eastern Counties Association" department of the Parliamentarian army. During the 19th century, Cambridge experienced rapid expansion amid an era of increased life expectancy and agricultural production. In 1845, the railroad arrived in Cambridge, causing an industrial boom due to its new rail links to London. From the 1930s to the 1980s, the city continued to grow due to the construction of council estates, and it was granted a city charter in 1951. In 2018, Cambridge had a population of 125,758 people (280,000 in the metro area), with 66% being white British, 1.4% Irish, 15% other white, 1.7% black, 3.2% mixed, 11% Asian, and 1.6% other.